The Mission¹⁴: Vision Forward Africa conference was the second of Area conferences in 2014. The conference focused on our WT Ethos (purpose, vision, values and ‘culture’) as well as getting input from national leaders about partnering to reach the unreached. The large group and small group interaction times were fruitful, with many opportunities to talk further about the issues being raised.
As I wrote in the previous post, “I shared a number of challenges with each region or Area. The purpose was to affirm and celebrate what God has done through us over the past few years as well as to challenge Area members to “excel still more” in their work and ministry for Jesus.”
During the WT Africa conference, I shared the following challenges.
First challenge: learn to say ‘no’. Learn to say ‘no’ to one thing in order to build a heart for a new team. World Team Africa has historically focused its work(s) in one specific region. The outgrowths of these efforts have been progress in translation projects, multiplying small groups and leader development. That good work now needs to be turned towards other projects in other locations and countries. In order to do that, it will mean that workers will need to say ‘no’ to one thing to have the time to give towards researching and building new teams to reach new unreached people groups.
Second challenge: ask the hard question. “When is the time to move on?” This hard question is not restricted just to WT Africa workers. It is the question that we all need to ask ourselves at certain times. “When is the time to move on?” In other words, at what point do we need to transition to a new work and project? How might our ongoing presence be inhibiting others (national believers) to take leadership of the work? This is neither an easy question nor an easy discussion. However, we must help one another to regularly think through this question.
Third challenge: offer and accept outside-in input. Each of us has experience and wisdom gained from our unique journey with Jesus. However, we are each easily blinded to our faults and shortcomings. Offering and accepting outside-in input is a way for each of us to come alongside other workers by investing in their lives. However, we must be equally willing to accept the same input from those outside our contexts. I often hear workers, in response to the offer of outside input, say that ‘those people would not understand our context.’ Granted there is an element of truth in that statement, but people from the outside are also able to see things to which we can easily be blinded.
I share these challenges to the WT AFrica workers with all of us both as a reminder of the challenges given, but also as a motivation to pray for one another as we seek to learn the further change and growth to which God is calling us.
Filed under: Partnership, Planning, Vision Forward 2014 | 6 Comments »
